Today feels like a momentous day for two reasons. The first is that this blog post is my first since January and I feel like its a great time to get back into writing more often. The Other reason is because yesterday, September 29, 2017 marked two months since I made the big move to New York City – Brooklyn to be more exact. I have always loved NY with its bright lights and constant movement. I’m also a person not annoyed by crowds so its a great place for me. The first time I went to NY, I believe was with my mom, sisters – Sarah and Beth, two of my aunts, and two of my cousins. I think it was a day trip and all I can remember is it being near the holidays, getting a winter felt hat with teddy bears on it at a street vendor, walking through Rockefeller Center, and eating dim sum for dinner before leaving. It wasn’t a lot of time but it all felt pretty magical. It wasn’t until I came back in high school three times (twice with my Sparks class and once with my band class) to see broadway shows, visit some of the touristy sights, and take in the unique beauty that the city has during the holiday season, that I really fell in love.
While in college, I didn’t have the time or money to return. Then, a year and half after graduating, I decided to move to and from Los Angeles. I sometimes wonder if I had moved to NY instead if I would have already been here for several years with a longer career established. But, I think I’ve had to go on this winding path to figure out what I want to do and where I can see my self living. It wasn’t until I had been back in VA for over a year, that I took my first trip back up to NY since high school in December 2015. It was right in the middle of the holiday season and even with it feeling bitter cold, it was perfect. I saw two plays, had delicious meals, explored the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (by mistake…my friend and I meant to go to the Bronx…lol), saw the holiday decorations all over, and sang some jolly music with a few jazz hands thrown in the mix as my friends and I walked the city.
Since that weekend, I have visited five times during each season (even during a heavy, freezing winter blizzard!!) and still wanted to come back to see all the things I didn’t see during the previous visit. It kind of felt that every time I left the city, I just wanted to come back, so it made a lot of sense when the opportunity came around for me to move to NY. I have joked that since I now live here, I can finally go explore all the other places in the US that are on my list.
Before moving though, I had a lot of fears. I moved to Los Angeles in 2014 with high hopes of staying there for a while and building a career. I was there for just over 6 months. I was depressed, lonely, and feeling pretty lost about what I wanted to do. In the weeks leading up to July 29th, 2017, I was worried that I would spend a lot of time and money again on a huge, scary move to a massive city and feel the same way about it that I had about California.
Who knows what the future holds for me in NY, but there are already a lot of positives about being here that helps me when I feel kind of anxious about all of the unknowns. First of all, a huge thing I was upset about in LA was that a majority of my family was so far away and the only way I could get home was through an expensive flight (or a really, really long road trip). I was missing huge moments in the lives of so many people, especially my nieces. In NY, I can come back to VA with an $80 round trip bus ticket and not feel like I’m missing too many big events in my family or friend’s lives.
In Los Angeles, I moved without having a job and didn’t find one for two months which put a huge strain on my finances. I started working in NY quite shortly after I moved so while I am still keeping myself on a tight budget, I’m not as nervous as I was in LA. I can also tell that my social life is a lot better here in NY. I have already met up with a lot of the great people I’ve know for a long time (some from high school, college, and even from the 3 short years I had in Richmond) who have helped make the city feel more welcoming. My sister Heidi has already come for a visit from Los Angeles and it was such an amazing week seeing the city and meeting her friends and coworkers. There seems to be more job opportunities that excite me here and avenues I can go down that will hopefully lead to a fruitful career. I also like not having a car and walking or taking the subway to get places. I was the most fit in college when I didn’t have a car and I already feel a little slimmer naturally due to having a more active lifestyle.
It’s definitely not an easy city to live in though. It’s expensive and can be so loud. Even though I do love walking and taking the subway, its difficult sometimes properly figuring out how to get places and the length of time it takes. I’m becoming more comfortable with at least 30 minute (usually 45 mins to an hour) commutes to most places in the city. It’s also true what people say about the city feeling lonely even with so many people around. There have been days when I’ve felt down in the dumps and frustrated.
However, even with all of this, I am so far feel like I have brought myself to the right place. On the tough days, I remind myself that I have taken the first major step and made the move to the city. I live and work and I’m doing my best to be successful here. I’m lucky enough to look out the window of my apartment with the view of the city skyline. As the sun sets on each day, I know I have made it another day in this hectic city and I can smile.
every so often... 
Each day in the city is definitely an accomplishment 😉 Great pics!